Bow cable management system

ABSTRACT

A bow cable management system is provided. The system includes a bow management device, a bow and an electronic accessory. The bow management device includes a base member and a bracket, wherein the base member has a first side and an opposing second side with a recess formed on the second side. A first channel extends from the recess out a front end of the base member, and a second channel extends from the recess out the bottom side of the base member. The bow management device is coupled to a riser of the bow. The electronic accessory is coupled to the bracket of the cable management device. The cable management device is configured to receive a cable of the electronic accessory through first channel with a portion of the cable retained within the recess of the base member and then extending through the second channel to a trigger accessory.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Technical Field

This invention relates generally to cable management and moreparticularly to a bow cable management system for organizing andmanaging cables of an electronic accessory mountable to a bow.

State of the Art

The use of electronic accessories on bows is becoming increasinglypopular. For example, a popular electronic accessory is a rangefinder,such as a rangefinder incorporated with a bow sight. These electronicaccessories often require a trigger to initiate operation of theelectronic accessory. As with all electronic accessories, particularlyones with triggers, there are cables that need to connect thecomponents. Conventional means of managing the cables include straps ortape that hold the cables to the bow riser and so forth. There is not asystem that exists for managing such cables.

Accordingly, there is a need for a bow cable management system thatallows for managing the cables of electronic accessories mounted to abow.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An embodiment includes a bow cable management system comprisescomprising: a bow management device comprising: a base membercomprising: a first side and an opposing second side; a bottom side anda top side; a front end and a rear end; and a recess extending into thebase member from the second side; and a bracket extending from the firstside of the base member and located at the first end of the base member;a first channel formed in the base member extending from the recess outa front end of the base member; and a second channel formed in the basemember extending from the recess out the bottom side of the base member;and a bow having a bridge-lock slot formed in a riser of the bow,wherein the bow management device is coupled within the bridge-lock slotformed in the riser of the bow, wherein: the bracket of the cablemanagement device is configured to couple to an electronic accessory,wherein the cable management device is configured to receive a cable ofthe electronic accessory through the first channel with a portion of thecable retained within the recess of the base member and then the cableextending through the second channel to a trigger accessory.

Another embodiment includes a method of using a cable management system,the method comprising: coupling a bow cable management device to a bowriser with at least one cable having a portion retained within a recessof the bow cable management device, a first end of the cable extendingthrough a first channel formed in the bow cable management device and asecond end of the cable extending through a second channel of the bowcable management device; coupling an electronic accessory to the bowcable management device; coupling a first end of the cable to theelectronic accessory; and coupling a second end of the cable to atrigger accessory.

Another embodiment includes a bow cable management system comprisescomprising: a bow management device comprising: a base membercomprising: a first side and an opposing second side; a bottom side anda top side; a front end and a rear end; and a recess extending into thebase member from the second side; and a bracket extending from the firstside of the base member and located at the first end of the base member;a first channel formed in the base member extending from the recess outa front end of the base member; and a second channel formed in the basemember extending from the recess out the bottom side of the base member;and a bow having a riser, wherein the bow management device is coupledto the riser of the bow or another location of the bow, wherein: thebracket of the cable management device is configured to couple to anelectronic accessory, wherein the cable management device is configuredto receive a cable of the electronic accessory through the first channelwith a portion of the cable retained within the recess of the basemember and then the cable extending through the second channel to atrigger accessory.

The foregoing and other features and advantages of the present inventionwill be apparent from the following more detailed description of theparticular embodiments of the invention, as illustrated in theaccompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A more complete understanding of the present invention may be derived byreferring to the detailed description and claims when considered inconnection with the Figures, wherein like reference numbers refer tosimilar items throughout the Figures, and:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a bow cable management device accordingto an embodiment;

FIG. 2 is another perspective view of a bow cable management deviceaccording to an embodiment;

FIG. 3 is another perspective view of a bow cable management deviceaccording to an embodiment;

FIG. 4 is yet another perspective view of a bow cable management deviceaccording to an embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a first side view of a bow cable management device accordingto an embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a second side view of a bow cable management device accordingto an embodiment;

FIG. 7 is a front view of a bow cable management device according to anembodiment;

FIG. 8 is a rear view of a bow cable management device according to anembodiment;

FIG. 9 is a bottom view of a bow cable management device according to anembodiment;

FIG. 10 is a top view of a bow cable management device according to anembodiment;

FIG. 11 is a second side view of a bow cable management device with acable coupled thereto according to an embodiment;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a bow cable management device with acable coupled thereto according to an embodiment;

FIG. 13 is a side view of an electronic accessory according to anembodiment; and

FIG. 14 is a side view of an electronic accessory with a bow cablemanagement device coupled thereto according to an embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

As discussed above, embodiments of the present invention relate to a bowcable management system that includes a bow cable management devicecoupled to bow riser and an electronic accessory, wherein the bow cablemanagement device includes means for managing one or more cables of theelectronic accessory.

An embodiment of a bow cable management system includes a bow cablemanagement device 10 along with a bow to which the bow cable managementdevice 10 is coupled to and the electronic accessory having a least onecable. FIGS. 1-12 depict an embodiment of the bow cable managementdevice 10.

The bow cable management device 10 comprises a base member 12 having afirst side 13 and a second side 15. The base member 12 includes a topchamfered edge 30 and bottom chamfered edge 32 to form a dovetail typeshape for coupling to a riser of a bow 60 in a dovetail connection. Thebow cable management device 10 further includes a bracket 14 extendingaway from the first side 13 of the base member 12 and located on a frontend of the base member 12. The bracket 14 includes a first aperture 16and a second aperture 18, wherein the second aperture 18 may be anelongated aperture having an oval shape or an obround shape foradjustability in coupled the bracket 14 to an electronic device or amount of the electronic device. The base member 12 may include a recess24 extending into the base member 12 from the second side 15. A firstchannel 20 is formed in the base member 12 and extends from the recess24 out the front end of the device 10, and a second channel 22 is formedin the base member 12 and extends from the recess 24 out the bottom sideof the base member 12. The recess 24 may be covered by cover member 26.

Referring FIGS. 11-12 , the cable management device 10 may be configuredto receive a cable 40 of the electronic accessory through first channelwith a portion of the cable 40 retained within the recess of the basemember and then extending through the second channel. In this way, thecable extends from the electronic accessory, shown as cable portion 42,through the first channel 20 and into recess 24 of the bow cablemanagement device 10 and then extends through the second channel 22,shown as cable portion 44, to a trigger accessory. The cover 26 may becoupled over the recess 24 to keep the cable 40 within the recess of thecable management device 10. Typically, the trigger accessory is coupledat the handle of the bow allowing the user to engage the triggeraccessory when holding the bow for shooting. While it is shown with onlya single cable, the bow cable management device 10 may be configured toreceive more than one cable therein and manage the cables of multipledevices. In other embodiments, multiple bow cable management devices 10may be incorporated.

In operation, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14 , an electronic accessory 50,such as the rangefinder sight depicted, may include a mount 52 thatengages a bracket. The bow cable management device 10 may replace themount 52, wherein the chamfered edges 30 and 32 can slide and engage abridge-lock system formed in the bow riser 60, as shown in FIG. 14 . Abridge-lock system allows a dovetail sight to be mounted through theriser of the bow 60, eliminating the need for an external mountingbracket. The riser of the bow 60 includes a slot configured in shape tocorrespond to a dovetail sight and the base member 12 of the cablemanagement device 10 is a shape with the chamfered edges 30 and 32 toslide within the slot of the bridge-lock system on the bow 60. The cover26 of the cable management device 10 may be held in place by thebridge-lock system of the bow riser 60, such as being held in place by aportion of the slot in the riser of the bow 60 that the cable managementdevice 10 is slid into. Additionally, the bow cable management device 10may be secured to the bridge-lock system of the bow riser 60 with a setscrew coupled through the riser of the bow 60 and engaging recess 26that is formed in chamfered edge 30.

While FIG. 14 depicts the use of the bow cable management device 10 witha bridge-lock system, it will be understood that in some embodiments,the bow cable management device 10 may be coupled to a riser of a bow 60or other location of the bow 60 in other ways. For example, and withoutlimitation, in some embodiments, the bow cable management device 10 maybe coupled to a side of the bow riser or bow, and in other embodiments,a mount or bracket of some sort may be coupled to the bow riser or bowand then coupled to the bow cable management device 10. In eachinstance, the bow cable management device 10 is coupled to the bow riseror bow and operates to manage cables for operation of an electronicaccessory.

A method of the use of the bow cable management device 10 may includecoupling the bow cable management device 10 to a bow riser with at leastone cable 40 have a portion retained within a recess 24 of the bow cablemanagement device 10, the portion of the cable retained within therecess with the bow riser operating to retain the portion of the cable40 within the recess 24 and a first end 42 of the cable extendingthrough a first channel 20 and a second end 44 of the cable 40 extendingthrough a second channel 22; coupling an electronic accessory 50 to thebow cable management device 10; coupling the first end 42 of the cable40 to the electronic accessory 50; and coupling the second end 44 of thecable 40 to a trigger accessory (not shown).

Accordingly, the components defining any bow cable management device maybe formed of any of many different types of materials or combinationsthereof that can readily be formed into shaped objects provided that thecomponents selected are consistent with the intended operation of a bowcable management device. For example, the components may be formed of:rubbers (synthetic and/or natural) and/or other like materials; glasses(such as fiberglass) carbon-fiber, aramid-fiber, any combinationthereof, and/or other like materials; polymers such as thermoplastics(such as ABS, Fluoropolymers, Polyacetal, Polyamide; Polycarbonate,Polyethylene, Polysulfone, and/or the like), thermosets (such as Epoxy,Phenolic Resin, Polyimide, Polyurethane, Silicone, and/or the like), anycombination thereof, and/or other like materials; composites and/orother like materials; metals, such as zinc, magnesium, titanium, copper,iron, steel, carbon steel, alloy steel, tool steel, stainless steel,aluminum, any combination thereof, and/or other like materials; alloys,such as aluminum alloy, titanium alloy, magnesium alloy, copper alloy,any combination thereof, and/or other like materials; any other suitablematerial; and/or any combination thereof.

Furthermore, the components defining any bow cable management device maybe purchased pre-manufactured or manufactured separately and thenassembled together. However, any or all of the components may bemanufactured simultaneously and integrally joined with one another.Manufacture of these components separately or simultaneously may involveextrusion, pultrusion, vacuum forming, injection molding, blow molding,resin transfer molding, casting, forging, cold rolling, milling,drilling, reaming, turning, grinding, stamping, cutting, bending,welding, soldering, hardening, riveting, punching, plating, and/or thelike. If any of the components are manufactured separately, they maythen be coupled with one another in any manner, such as with adhesive, aweld, a fastener (e.g. a bolt, a nut, a screw, a nail, a rivet, a pin,and/or the like), wiring, any combination thereof, and/or the like forexample, depending on, among other considerations, the particularmaterial forming the components. Other possible steps might include sandblasting, polishing, powder coating, zinc plating, anodizing, hardanodizing, and/or painting the components for example.

The embodiments and examples set forth herein were presented in order tobest explain the present invention and its practical application and tothereby enable those of ordinary skill in the art to make and use theinvention. However, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognizethat the foregoing description and examples have been presented for thepurposes of illustration and example only. The description as set forthis not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to theprecise form disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possiblein light of the teachings above without departing from the spirit andscope of the forthcoming claims.

1. A bow cable management system comprises comprising: a bow managementdevice comprising: a base member comprising: a first side and anopposing second side; a bottom side and a top side; a front end and arear end; and a recess extending into the base member from the secondside; and a bracket extending from the first side of the base member andlocated at the first end of the base member; a first channel formed inthe base member extending from the recess out a front end of the basemember; and a second channel formed in the base member extending fromthe recess out the bottom side of the base member; and a bow having abridge-lock slot formed in a riser of the bow, wherein the bowmanagement device is coupled within the bridge-lock slot formed in theriser of the bow, wherein: the bracket of the cable management device isconfigured to couple to an electronic accessory, wherein the cablemanagement device is configured to receive a cable of the electronicaccessory through the first channel with a portion of the cable retainedwithin the recess of the base member and then the cable extendingthrough the second channel to a trigger accessory.
 2. The system ofclaim 1, wherein the bow management device further comprises a topchamfered edge and bottom chamfered edge.
 3. The system of claim 1,wherein the bow management device further comprises cover member coupledover the recess.
 4. The system of claim 3, wherein the cover member isconfigured to retain the cable of the electronic accessory within therecess.
 5. The system of claim 4, wherein the cover member is retainedover the recess in response to inserting the base member within thebridge-lock slot of the riser of the bow.
 6. A method of using a cablemanagement system, the method comprising: coupling a bow cablemanagement device to a bow riser with at least one cable having aportion retained within a recess of the bow cable management device, afirst end of the cable extending through a first channel formed in thebow cable management device and a second end of the cable extendingthrough a second channel of the bow cable management device; coupling anelectronic accessory to the bow cable management device; coupling afirst end of the cable to the electronic accessory; and coupling asecond end of the cable to a trigger accessory.
 7. The method of claim6, wherein the bow cable management device comprises: a base membercomprising: a first side and an opposing second side; a bottom side anda top side; a front end and a rear end; and the recess extending intothe base member from the second side; and a cover member coupled overthe recess; a bracket extending from the first side of the base memberand located at the first end of the base member; the first channelformed in the base member extending from the recess out a front end ofthe base member; and the second channel formed in the base memberextending from the recess out the bottom side of the base member.
 8. Themethod of claim 7, further comprising retaining the cover member coupledto the base member over the recess in response to coupling the bow cablemanagement device to the bow riser.
 9. The method of claim 7, whereincoupling the electronic accessory to the bow cable management devicecomprises coupling the electronic accessory to the bracket of the bowcable management device.
 10. The method of claim 7, wherein coupling thebow cable management device to the bow riser further comprises couplingthe bow cable management device within a bridge-lock slot formed in thebow riser.
 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the bow management devicefurther comprises a top chamfered edge and bottom chamfered edge formedin the base member.
 12. The method of claim 11, wherein bridge-lock slotcomprises a shape corresponding to the shape of the bow managementdevice.
 13. A bow cable management system comprises comprising: a bowmanagement device comprising: a base member comprising: a first side andan opposing second side; a bottom side and a top side; a front end and arear end; and a recess extending into the base member from the secondside; and a bracket extending from the first side of the base member andlocated at the first end of the base member; a first channel formed inthe base member extending from the recess out a front end of the basemember; and a second channel formed in the base member extending fromthe recess out the bottom side of the base member; and a bow having ariser, wherein the bow management device is coupled to the riser of thebow or another location of the bow, wherein: the bracket of the cablemanagement device is configured to couple to an electronic accessory,wherein the cable management device is configured to receive a cable ofthe electronic accessory through the first channel with a portion of thecable retained within the recess of the base member and then the cableextending through the second channel to a trigger accessory.
 14. Thesystem of claim 13, wherein the bow management device further comprisescover member coupled over the recess.
 15. The system of claim 14,wherein the cover member is configured to retain the cable of theelectronic accessory within the recess.